A Siblings Story: A Year of New Beginnings
by MaryBeth Tudor
Summary: The Marauders first year. Were these four ever sweet and innocent ? what do you think! Follow James the Marauders and his twin sister throught the trails and tribulations that is being a first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
1. A Different Beginning

Disclaimer

Hey guys, well you all now the drill I don't own anything except Amelia (OC) and I only do this for the warm and fuzzies it gives me inside : ) the real genius is J.K and I am thankful to her everyday that I have this world in which to escape, the world of Pure Imagination! ok guys so read and rate I hope you all like if you don't please all feedback welcome so that I can change it so you will. I'm hoping to make this a big series by the finish but with uni and loads of family stuff I might not be able to update as often as I'd like but bear with I won't leave you hanging too long. so without further ado let's get on with it : ) God Bless guys and Enjoy - MaryBeth Tudor xxxxx

A Different Beginning

The usual hustle and bustle of Platform Nine and Three Quarters seemed amplified this year; and she didn't know why. She could remember the first time she stood here as a young, impressionable first year student, sat in a carriage all by herself, half an hour early "just to be safe," as her Mother would say; jumping in her seat unable to sit still, a bouncing ball of energy just waiting to burst with so many ideas and dreams of what the next seven years would hold. However, it wasn't her turn anymore. That time had come and gone in a blur of laughs, tears, summer days and winter nights. If you had told her, that day all those twenty years ago, that she would be standing here today, September 1st 1971, watching her twins do exactly the same thing as she did then she probably would have laughed; yet here she was. That thought made her smile, how times change, yet it was also the cause of that one single tear that made tracks down her rosy cheek. She was so proud, but she would miss them terribly. She knew this day was coming but watching them go is never easy. She had told them numerous times to be good and stay out of trouble but she knew it was like telling a snake not to slither; pointless. If there were two pranksters worse than her little James and Amelia then she had yet to meet them, she just hoped that the twins didn't meet them first, they didn't need anymore grand ideas of stunts they could pull at Hogwarts, they already had a list; no seriously they did she had seen it, she was waiting for the day she received a Hogwarts toilet seat in the post. That thought almost made her smile; almost.

10:57 am

Three minutes. Three minutes and she could no longer call them her babies, not out loud anyway they would always be her babies deep down; but they were all grown up now and it was just something she would have to learn to deal with.

10:59 am

The train starts and there they are waving through the window for the last time before they go and become official Hogwarts students, before they start their own journey ; the beginning of school, the beginning of the rest of their lives. The train rounded the corner and they were gone.

11:01 am.

Time to go home, only six hours and Jonathan would be home from the Ministry with his tales of a wizarding world in crisis, the kids don't need to know that. In her mind they had grown up too fast already they didn't need to know about the continued string of disappearances happening , they may no longer be her babies but she would protect any shard of innocence they had left for as long as she could, it was too beautiful to be shattered.

As she left the station she could not help but consider the list of chores she had to do that day , keep busy. Maybe there was enough time to stop at Florean Fortescues Ice Cream Parlor first, something to cheer her up, as one thing had already become glaringly obvious; the moment that train turned the corner the Potter household just got a whole lot quieter and in her mind maybe even just that little less bright.


	2. Coming Ready or Not

I don't own anything except Amelia etc. Sorry it has taken me so long to upload guys but I hope you enjoy this chapter. You know the drill please R and R so that i can improve and so that if you don't like it i can tweak so that you will. Thanks. MaryBeth Tudor xxx

Chapter 2: Coming Ready or Not.

She knew it was never going to be easy, leaving home. She had never really been apart from her parents for more than a week at a time; and now she was off to fend for herself, eleven years old, heading off to her first year at Hogwarts and she didn't think she was ready. She had to admit that she knew she had it easier than most, some were coming here without any family at all, at least she had her brother. She couldn't help but feel sorry for those Muggle born students making this journey not knowing anyone or, until recently, anything about the world they were now a part of. She had grown up in this world, and with a well-known family within it, many older students had already popped their head around the door checking she was settling in ok, an upside to having parents who know everyone.

Of course James was settling in perfectly already, strutting around as if he owned the place and she had no doubt that by the time they were in their seventh year he would. For some reason, unbeknownst to her, people seemed to gravitate to her brother. She loved him but sometimes even she could see how pig-headed and arrogant he could be, others however, seemed blind to it seeing only the young carefree prankster who everyone wanted to know.

She was driven from her thoughts by a door slamming somewhere further down the carriage soon followed by two people, who from what she could tell both seemed like first years themselves, looking obviously not amused by their travelling companions who had been left in the compartment they had evacuated. The only reason she knew that there were other people in the same compartment was the hysterical laughter that was floating through the carriage and all of a sudden she had a strange feeling she knew where her brother had gotten to. They had only been on the train twenty minutes, but she had the impression that was plenty of time for her brother to manage to get himself suspended.

Walking down the carriage to the compartment from which the laughter was playing, she was not surprised to see; on her arrival to her destination, two young men who were rolling about in fits of laughter. One was her brother and the other a young man she had yet to meet.

"Well done James, twenty minutes into the journey and you have already managed to insult two people; I don't know how you do it" she said entering the compartment seating herself next to her brother as the laughter in the carriage now became minor fits of giggles.

"It's a talent my dear Mia, you either got it or you ain't. Isn't that right, Sirius?" The boy sat across from her nodded at James's question, obviously unable to speak due to his attempts to assuage his laughter; attempts at which he was currently failing. "Oh, this is Sirius by the way, Sirius Black. Sirius this is my sister Amelia, but I'd call her Mia unless you want to die a slow and painful death."

Mia had of course heard of the Black family, she was a pure-blooded witch after all. But for some reason the Potter family had made a point of not associating with them. Apparently, the Blacks had a very low opinion of those whose blood was not pure; yet sat here now watching Sirius she began to wonder whether or not people were just bracketing; maybe not all of them thought the same way. After all you couldn't blame a child for the crimes of his parents.

"Nice to meet you, Sirius." she said holding out a hand for him to shake. However Sirius seemed to have other ideas; he lifted her hand to his lips and planted a small kiss on the back of it.

"Enchante, Miss Amelia," he winked at her returning her hand.

Mia could hear the mumbled, "Don't say I didn't warn you," coming from her brother, but for some reason she could not find it in herself to berate Sirius for the use of her full name. The mischievous twinkle in his eye and the slight blush creeping onto her cheeks prevented her from doing so.

"I'll let you off this once, but from now on it's Mia."

"As you wish my lady," Mia could sense her brothers eyes flicking suspiciously between the two and decided to change the subject to something she knew would distract them. "So what about that Holyhead Harpies match on the weekend. It was insane, right?" the plan worked and soon the compartment was filled with chatter about, Quidditch, houses, and their next few years at Hogwarts. The only time silence reigned over the trio was when the trolley lady came and all were too interested in their chocolate frogs, pumpkin pasties and Bertie Bott's every flavour beans to care about much else.

The silence didn't last for long however as talk of exchanging wizard trading cards led to a game of exploding snap. As she sat there with her brother and their new found comrade, Amelia couldn't help but think that maybe she had thought things through too hastily and maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't feel as homesick here as she thought. That thought put a smile on her face, a smile that said one thing;

'I'm ready."


	3. Of Names and Notices

Disclaimer:

You guys know the drill by now, I do not own anything except Amelia (OC) and I just love Harry potter and that's why I do this. Please R&R also I am putting this up on as well so if this ever goes down you can read it there thanks guys and I hope you enjoy the chapter the next one should be up quicker than this due to the fact I have already begun writing. Love you all, God bless – MaryBeth Tudor xxx

Chapter 3:

Of Names and Notices

"Welcome. To all new faces and old, welcome to another year at Hogwarts. There are several notices which need be addressed before the sorting begins. First, Mr. Filch, our caretaker," said Albus Dumbledore indicating to a middle aged man stood at the doors to the Great Hall, a small Persian cat stood at his feet, a cat which Amelia had the immediate impression wasn't as cute as she looked.

"Has asked me to remind you that a list of forbidden objects, within school grounds, can be found pinned to his office door on the third floor. I would advise those of you whom do not want to find themselves hanging by their thumbs in the dungeons to take a look." a chorus of gasps could be heard by the first years surrounding her, mingled with the hum of laughter from the older students who had become immune to Dumbledore's eccentric sense of humor; the mischievous sparkle in his eyes brighter than ever, behind the half-moon spectacles that were almost as famous as the man on whose slightly crooked nose they had found a perch.

Amelia grinned, catching the twin smirks on her brother and Sirius' faces and was almost positive that they would own at least two of everything on that list; by Christmas.

"Second Rubeus Hagrid, Gamekeeper at Hogwarts for those who do not know, has asked me to inform you that Hogwarts has very recently come into possession of a Whomping Willow," a young boy with sandy hair stood in front of Amelia tensed at this statement. Amelia assumed that he'd had a previous encounter with one of these legendary violent plants and decided it was best to leave him to his thoughts.

"I would ask that all keep a healthy distance from this magical being unless you wish to die a most painful death." This time silence reigned. There was no doubt in anyone's mind; Dumbledore was not joking.

" Now, the only thing left to do is for me to welcome Professor Dorian Carlisle, our new Defense against the Dark Arts Professor." Dumbledore announced addressing a slightly younger man, with startling red hair, further down the staff table.

"May your time with us be as enjoyable and yet considerably more elongated than your predecessor;" Professor Carlisle nodded in recognition to Dumbledore, a slight smirk appearing on his face, as a quiet chuckle rippled through the great hall. It was common knowledge that Defense against the Dark arts professor was seen as a cursed position. In fact Amelia was surprised anybody had even agreed to take the job. Yet looking at Professor Carlisle he did not seem like the type of man that would be discouraged by a rumored curse, he seemed tense, electric blue eyes scanning and alert; a scar ran the length of his left check and Amelia found herself not wanting to know where he had come by it.

"And now I do believe our young first years may like to sit down and I myself am getting rather peckish, so Professor McGonagall, If you will, let the sorting begin."

Dumbledore resumed his seat in the center of the top table presiding over the great hall as Professor McGonagall stepped forward picking up a tattered hat which had been situated on a small three legged stool on the raised platform in the great hall.

" When I call your name, you will come forth , place the sorting hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin." Each name causing a raucous cheer from it's respective house, causing Mcgonagall to roll her eyes at the amused smile she was being sent by the headmaster .

"Now, while you are here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you house points. Any rule breaking, and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup." Mcgonagall paused to allow the information to process in the minds of the herd of Deer staring up at her as if she was a very bright pair of headlights, cleared her throat and announced the first name to be sorted.

"Avery, Josiah."

A young boy with jet black hair made his way to the front of the nervous mass, the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed "Slytherin" and a deafening cheer was heard from the table to the far right of the hall. A small petite blond by the name of Patricia Bedwell became the first new Hufflepuff and then was one of the names that Amelia had been waiting for and dreading all the same.

"Black, Sirius."

With one last parting glance at herself and James, Sirius made his way towards his moment of truth. He gave of an air of being highly confident but even Amelia, who had never been versed in anticipating the emotions of others, could tell he was terrified; all the color had drained from his face.

Moments passed and everyone was starting to murmur but just as she was about to attempt to send Sirius, what she hoped was, a comforting smile, the brim of the hat opened and shouted "Gryffindor". For a moment there was silence, and then an ear splitting roar sounded from the Gryffindor followed immediately by a shout of "Wait ago, Siri, that's my boy!" from the a young woman stood at the Ravenclaw table, Amelia could only assume that they were related.

The sorting started to blur as Amelia watched, she caught the flash of red hair she recognized as the girl James and Sirius had no doubt insulted on the express earlier that day, a young lady by the name of Lily Evans who was now a fully fledged Gryffindor.

"Farrow, Alice," became a Hufflepuff and then the young sandy haired boy who had been standing in front of Amelia, who she now knew as Remus Lupin, made his way to the front to ultimately join Miss Evans at the table furthest to the left of the hall as an official Gryffindor.

Amelia slowly began to tune out the sorting, staring at the enchanted ceiling of the great hall, which was currently reflecting the clear, star-filled sky outside. Concentration broke only momentarily as one or two of the hundreds of floating candles, that were lighting the hall, flew past and caught her eye. Then she heard it.

"Potter, Amelia."

xxx


	4. As If You Have a Choice

Disclaimer:

You know the drill, only do this for fun. I tried to upload this one quicker seen as the last one took so long, so I hope I don't disappoint. Thanks to all those that are adding this story to their favourite and alerts it makes me smile : ) just hope I haven't let you down with this chapter. Enjoy and God Bless - MaryBeth Tudor xx

Chapter 4 :

As If You Have A Choice

"Potter, Amelia"

As she stepped forward Amelia was sure she heard whispers breaking out throughout the Great Hall. She knew that wasn't true of course, the whispers had been there all along, it was down to her renewed sense of paranoia she was only noticing them now. Knowing this, however, did nothing to assuage the trembling that had started in her hands and was proceeding to seep it's way through the rest of her body.

Not even a glance at the reassuring blue eyes of the Headmaster was helping; the gaze he had fixed on her in that moment was expectant, almost all-knowing.

Deep down she knew she had nothing to be worried about, all the Potter family had been in Gryffindor for centuries and even her Mother had been a Ravenclaw; neither of those were options to be nervous about. Yet no matter how much she tried to convince herself she could not seem to evict the flutter of Butterflies that had taken up residence in the pit of her stomach.

A whispered, "good luck," alerted her to her brother's presence beside her, but she did not stop; she had the distinct impression that, if she had, her legs would have stopped working all together and she would not be able to start again.

The last thing Amelia saw before the hat dropped over her eyes was the sea of expectant faces staring back at her; it seemed she was not the only one expecting to her to follow in the Potter footsteps. Next second she was staring at the black inside of the hat. She waited.

"Hmm…it is time then, is it," said a small voice in her ear "for you Miss Potter I have a question." Amelia started to panic. This could not be normal, the hat knew, it always knew, it could see everything hidden in your head so why would a question be necessary.

"There are always two choices, Miss Potter. Two Paths to take. One is easy, and it's only reward is that it is easy. So the answer which I seek; are you to take the easy way out Miss Potter or see what your true fate holds?"

Amelia's panic had reached new levels, she sat there knowing people were waiting, wondering what was happening and somehow the whispers seem to amplify themselves in her ears. She began to wonder whether Dumbledore had been giving the hat lessons in speaking in riddles, or was it the other way around?, when she heard it. Another small voice in her head, that this time had nothing to do with the hat occupying it.

"In life, Sweetheart, it is much easier to face the truth than to live a lie."

It was the voice of her father, and in that moment she knew the answer to the hat's question. "No, I am not one to take the easy way out , I'm ready."

"Finally," the small voice of the Sorting Hat concluded, it's brim lifted and it shouted "Better be…Slytherin."

Amelia froze, the hat stayed on her head a few moments longer, as if Mcgonagall was too shocked to move it, and then it lifted to reveal a tidal wave of shocked, saddened and on some betrayed expressions. Amelia caught her brothers eye, one of the only ones in the room who looked more confused than anything else, after a moment he looked away and Amelia felt the tears start to prick the corners of her eyes as she stepped down to join the table furthest to the left of the hall, where a smattering of applause was coming from the students who were beginning to get over the shock her sorting had instilled.

As she sat down at the end of the table, next to a young woman with dark black hair, which from the badge she had pinned to her robes Amelia could tell was the Slytherin Prefect, she managed to catch the next name to be sorted.

"Potter, James."

Suddenly the entire room became silent. It was as if the shock climax to her sorting had made everybody wonder whether the Potters were no longer who they claimed to be. They need not have worried, however, as the hat barely touched James' head before it exclaimed "Gryffindor," and James sent her a nervous look before running over to the table at the opposite side of the hall to a huge round of applause from the Gryffindors.

"Don't worry, he'll come round," Amelia looked up at the young woman beside her, whose deep brown eyes were looking at her in a comforting way, something she had not expected from anyone in her new house.

"I'm not so sure," Amelia replied, the severity of her current situation slowly but surely sinking in.

"Tell me, you don't plan on becoming evil just because you're a Slytherin now do you?" Amelia shock her head violently showing just how much she was opposed to that statement. "Well there you go then, trust me he'll come round. I'm Marissa by the way, Marissa Parkinson. don't worry we'll look after you."

As she glanced down the Slytherin table she received a few smile. Mixed in with the smirks and daggers thrown her way, Amelia wasn't too sure about Marissa but the rest of her house didn't exactly strike her as the mothering type. She sent a thankful, yet nervous, smile at the older girl all the same and turned her attention back to the sorting in time to see a small, round boy with watery eyes and a pointed nose by the name of "Pettigrew, Peter" become a Gryffindor. In his haste to get to the Gryffindor table Peter ran off still wearing the hat and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to pass the hat back to "Rosier, Evan" who ultimately joined them at the Slytherin table.

Katherine Ross became the next official Gryffindor, followed by two new students for Ravenclaw, twins by the name of Sanders. Next up was the young boy Amelia had seen with Lily on the train earlier that morning. Taking a closer look at the boy he was sallow, small, stringy, and had eyes that looked as if they had seen more than anyone of his age ever should. Yet there was something about him that made Amelia think there was more to him than met the eye. Very quickly he became a Slytherin and Amelia joined the applause for her new fellow house mate. As he was stepping down to head towards the table Amelia saw his quick glance to Lily over at their now opposing house, and saw her saddened glance in return, she realised that maybe the two of them now had something in common.

As he sat down at the Slytherin table she sent him an encouraging smile to which he returned with a slight grimace of his own before tuning his attention back to the front of the hall.

Finally "Zabini, Antioch" was named the final new Slytherin and the sorting was over. For a few moments she continued to stare to the front of the great hall until a tap on her shoulder signalled someone trying to get her attention.

"You have to eat something you know," Marissa told her and when she looked back to the table the dishes in front of her were now piled with food. She had never seen so many things she liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs; though remembering what her mother had told her about Headmaster Dumbledore's penchant for Muggle confectionary this shouldn't really have surprised her.

Amelia made sure to take some of everything she liked, pocketing a few of the mint humbugs for later, it seemed Dumbledore wasn't the only one with a liking for Muggle sweets.

Amelia almost jumped out of her skin when she turned around to find the seat next to her was no longer empty and it's current occupant, a middle aged man with a pool of blood on his shirt , was completely transparent.

"You're The Bloody Baron," she exclaimed nervously and tensed as he turned to her extremely slowly.

"Apparently so, Welcome to Slytherin," he said before taking off with a whoosh leaving Amelia a little shaken and with slightly less appetite than she had previously.

"Don't worry," Marissa whispered to her, "I've been her five years and he still gives me the creeps." Amelia gave a nervous chuckle at that and glanced over at the Gryffindor table to find her brother's eyes wide as he spoke to a ghost whom she assumed was Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor house ghost. This statement was proved when the ghost lifted a smoky hand to his neck and pushed causing his head to loll to one side, hanging by a thread. Amelia's appetite seemed to lessen even more after that.

It seemed that small talk was not something that was overly prized at the Slytherin table, and before she knew it most had finished eating and the table cleared itself right before her very eyes.

A sudden movement caught her attention as Dumbledore stood from his seat at the head table "Ah, well now since we are all fed and water I suppose it is time for us to bid you good night. Pip Pip."

Suddenly the hall burst into action, she caught her brothers eye and he looked at her solemnly. "you know if you run you may be able to catch him, Slytherin common room is in the dungeons, I'll take the rest there and come back and meet you in the entrance hall in a moment, just don't tell anyone." Amelia looked at the older girl as if she had grown another head, causing Marissa to laugh and shoo her away with a wave of her hand.

Amelia didn't need telling twice, she ran into the great hall shouting her brother's name as she went. Suddenly she found him and without thinking he opened his arms as she dived into them never wanting to let go.

"I'm so sorry…I never meant to… I mean I wish I…"

Amelia couldn't speak, emotions taking over her. She was glad when James broke the silence for her.

" Don't worry we'll get through this together, yeah, like we always do," he said trying to reassure his sister, even though the look in his eyes seemed to be saying differently.

The voice of Sirius interrupted the sibling moment as she turned to him.

"Stop apologising, Mia, you're acting as if you had a choice."

It was then it hit her, she was sad and nervous and angry all at the same time about being put into Slytherin, but Sirius' words made her come to terms with something she hadn't yet consider. At one point that night she'd had a choice, the hat had given her the opportunity and she had chosen.

In the end she had no-one to blame; but herself.


End file.
